The Divide
by MidnightRanger
Summary: Dragons are dissapearing. After an odd attack on Berk by an even odder dragon, Hiccup decides to lead a search party into the nearby island called Shimmermist, an unexplored territory that holds more than the secret of where the dragons are going. (Toothless/OC, Eret/OC - sort of - Hiccstrid all the way)
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Updates on Fridays when finished, Sundays possibly. No reviews, no updates. I won't poor myself into something to have it basically ignored.**

**This story will be one of the more serious ones around here, meaning mature language and possibly themes. I may edit those out.**

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><p>It started with stories.<p>

Mostly stories floated by Eret.

Hiccup generally ignored the stories, he had more important things than odd noises in the night. Being chief was hard, but not as hard as his father made it seem. The dragons curbed more problems than they caused but still, a hard day was what had Hiccup in the mead hall that night. And he had happened upon a night of seemingly tall tales.

"...'m tellin you, large than Cloud Jumper! Never seen anythin' like it!"

One of the men seated at the long bar waved a hand at Eret, who was seated two bar stools down from him with a genuinely concerned expression. He lowered his hands as the men around him chortled at his fairy tale, looking like a six year old among these burly men.

His face puffed for a moment and he grumbled. "It's real, I'm telling you! Out in Shimmermist Grove, saw it on patrol! Just cus you haven't seen it doesn' mean it ain't real."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as a maid brought him a tankard of red grape silt. He wouldn't say anything, he would keep to himself. He was curious, but not looking to get into another debate. He had already had three, two with Astrid. She was getting ornery lately and she wasn't telling him why, saying he already knew. Hiccup shook his head and took a sip of his drink, he would never understand women.

"White as snow but eyes like the breath of a Bewilderbeast," Hiccup didn't miss the way Eret flinched at his words.

The King was still a tender spot, even all these months later. How many had it been? Seven? That felt right, Hiccup hadn't kept up, hadn't had the chance. Astrid wasn't the only one ornery, Toothless seemed agitated which meant more time in the sky. No time for rest, but it still made Hiccup smile.

He never thought he would be chief, at least, not a good one. But everyone praised him. He was doing good. It made him happy. With his mother around, things felt more complete. Not whole, just partial. As he took another slow sip, Eret caught his attention.

"Looked like Toothless but bigger!"

Now, why did that put a bad taste in Hiccups mouth? Before he could speak up, finally, one of the men taunted Eret and he finally looked furious. He slid from his stool and stomped towards the door, casting an anvry glance at Hiccup as he passed.

"Boy ain't right," One of the barkeeps muttered.

Agreements rang through the air before being replaced by idle cbatter. All the while, Hiccup stared into his tankard, running a slow finger around the edge of the metal container. Maybe he should have spoke up, talked to Eret...he shook his head and finished his drink, slipping out of the mead hall without anyone the wiser.

Eret was waiting for him, standing in front of the door to his house with an agitated expression. He met Hiccup at the foot of the stairs, staring at him down the length of his nose.

"You didn't say anything," was all he said.

He brushed past Hiccup after that, making Hiccup feel some what guilty. Why, he didn't understand, but he did.

That was the first night one of the dragons dissapeared.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Well I'm so glad people are already enjoying this ^-^ Yes, the chapter was short and some of these (like this one) will be. I may edit later and combine chapters.**_

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><p>"Mom?"<p>

Hiccup hesitates at the door to the small sanctuary his mother had created in the lower portions of their home. She was seated on a large boulder in the corner of the room, several Terrible Terrors and other small dragons (including a few babies) tumbling around her. She cradled a baby Scauldron in her lap, brow creased with worry.

"Another is gone," she looked up. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Hiccup didn't want to say anything, the heartache on her face too much. "Yeah...yeah, Hookfang," Hiccup swayed for a moment, crouching down to scratch at the dry scales of the Scauldron in her lap. "Snotlout has been sitting on the Eastern edge of the island since this morning."

Valka shook her head slowly. "This is truly terrible..."

Hiccup nodded slowly. "Mom," he looked up into her eyes. "What are we going to do?"

Valka shook her head again, watching the small dragon languidly step out of her lap. Rubbing her forehead, Valka looked to her son. This was the third night, the seventh dragon. Two had been found, confused at the edge of the island, the others seemed to have just dissapeared. No one had witnessed the dissapearances, only woke up to them gone, stables empty. Hiccup had taken to keeping Toothless closer than usual, fearful he would be the next to go.

The Night Fury was already agitated, this seemed to be making it worse.

Hiccup sighed and stood. "Mom, come on."

She looked up with almost doe-like eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized, standing and smiling at her son. "This is just...so much."

"I know," they climbed the steps into the main house, Hiccup smiling at Toothless who was sleeping near the fireplace. "But we've gotta pull our heads together and try and figure this out. I..." he paused beside Toothless, the dragon lazily looking up at him. "I can't lose him. Not again."

Toothless huffed, closing his eyes again. Hiccup stared at the top of his head, eyeing the small scar left by Drago and his spear. Valka pulled him away, towards the open doors. Outside, the sky was clear, the air crisp and fresh. But there weren't many people out. They were hiding away with their dragons, fear instilled in Berk as strong as when the dragons were attacking. It wasn't something Hiccup took lightly. He had worked hard to bring peace to Berk and now...now something was disrupting it all. The peace, the happiness.

Hiccup lurched forward as he was lost in his thoughts, missing the last step he and Valka were walking down. She chuckled and pat his back, he could only smile a little. He felt like he was missing something, but he couldn't, for the love of the Gods, remember what that was.

As they strolled through the courtyard, Hiccup spotted Snotlout where he had seen him earlier. Legs dangling over the cliffside, he was staring blankly over the horizon, waiting for Hookfang. Hiccup did not offer comfort, he would find no solace in the gesture should he lose Toothless. Again.

"Hiccup," Valka hummed. "Where are we going?"

Oh right.

Hiccup blinked a couple times, pausing where he was. Valka looked at him curiously, patiently. He looked baffled, out-of-it. She had yet to see him so spacey, he was usually pretty put together.

He looked over at her, the look in his eyes saying he had to apologize, but not to her. "We're uh...we're gonna go talk to Eret."

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><p>Eret stared into the fire in front of him, back leant against Skullcrusher. He rose every once in awhile, swayed by the heaving chest of his dragon. Agitated, angry, ignored. He rubbed his face with both hands, grumbling as he knocked his head back.<p>

"They don' believe me," he grumbled.

Skullcrusher snorted and Eret opened his mouth to protest but a knock at the door made him pause. He and Skullcrusher shared a look before both dragon and master stood, approaching the door. Eret was mildly suprised to find Hiccup and his mother standing on the otherside of the door. Both looked concerned, possibly for seperate reasons.

"An' what do you want," he grumbled to Hiccup, Skullcrusher waddling away behind him.

"Can we come in," Hiccup hummed, eyebrows raised.

Eret nodded. "Sure," he watched Hiccup and Valka come into his home, Valka going for Skullcrusher who greeted her with a hum of delight.

Before Eret could even shut the door, Hiccup apologized. "The other day, I should have spoken up," Hiccup shook his head, lips pursed. "I regret that now because I..."

Eret waved a hand. "I don' care," he huffed. "What do you want?"

Hiccup swallowed. "The dragon you were talking about, where did you see it?"

Eret raised an eyebrow. "The grove on the edge of Shimmermist, why?"

Hiccup sighed, hesitant. "I...I think it may be taking the dragons."

"And how would you get that from wha' I saw?"

Hiccup smiled a little. "Experience."


	3. Chapter 3

_**First, I'll make this short...ish. I don't want to come off as rude, but I am not a noob. I appreciate the reviews and do realize these last two chapters were lacking in the description department and that is because they are neccessary chapters, ones I wrote with grit teeth (hence my mention of an edit, to which reviews and re reads from older readers will not be neccesary(?)). If I could just dive into the main part of the story (the part I actually enjoyed writing), I would have but alas, you must first make introductions.**_

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><p>The plan is simple, but its keeping Hiccup awake.<p>

He sighs and closes his eyes, pulling his right hand from behind his head to rub at his eyes. With another, particularly long sigh, Hiccup rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. Another gone, Hiccup feared for his people.

Toothless hummed in his sleep, rolling onto his back on his 'nest', tail flopping to the ground. It made Hiccup smile, made him frown. He knew he was aggravating Toothless, with the over abundance of attention, but he wouldn't let his dragon go. Not without a fight. Though, what he would be fighting was still an uncertain point.

Toothles stirred, leathery lips smacking as he curled back into a ball.

What Eret had described concerned Hiccup because it oddly enough sounded like a Night Fury. But the color, the proportions, they were all off. It was far too large, then again, the only experience anyone had with a Night Fury was Toothless and according to Valka, he was still in his adolescence.

"Wait a minute," Hiccup muttered, sitting up; Toothless popped open an eye. "Mom...mom has to have had experience with another Night Fury," he looked over at the door, Toothless having already been staring at the door. "I mean, how else would she know about everything she's showed me about you."

Toothless snorted and slid from his perch, approaching the door with cautious eyes. He scratched at the door for a moment then look back at Hiccup, waddling over. Hiccup chuckled, face full of dragon snout and then nodded solemnly. He stood and followed Toothless to the door, not about to let him go outside alone; the sly glare Toothless sent him as they passed over the threshold spoke volumes.

All very much annoyed.

"Look Bud, I don't want you getting taken. Can we come to an agreement?"

That was a shrug if he ever saw one, but Hiccup didn't say anything. He kept several paces behind Toothless, looking to the sky as they traveled through the village seemingly aimless in destination. The sky was streaked in violet and white hues, stars swirled in random patterns; Hiccup couldn't help but smile. It was beautiful.

He paused for a moment, looking over his shoulder as he heard a door snap shut. He caught a glimpse of one of the children pulling their Gronckle into their home before a wide eyed mother slammed the door shut; was that Miss Hazbe?

Hiccup sighed then noticed something: Toothless was gone.

His heart fluttered and he whipped his head side to side, trying to find his dragon. Where had he gone?

"Toothless?"

He started forward, following the streak in the dirt where Toothless had let his tail drag. He curbed around the forge, letting his fingers trail across burnt wood.

"Toothless," his voice was taking on a slight panic.

Where had he gone? He couldn't have just disappeared, right? He was just in front of him, Hiccup had only looked away for a second. Just a few seconds. He wondered, briefly, if he was the first on the island to have his dragon disappear in front of his face.

"My...luck..."

He breathed a small sigh of relief as he came around the edge of one of the houses, seeing Toothless lying next to Snotlout at the cliff's edge. He approached slowly, plopping down in the sparse grass beside his friend.

"Why won' he come back, Hiccup?"

The new Chief had never seen the usually gruff boy so sad. Toothless looked over at Hiccup, even he looked sad. Hiccup sighed and ran a hand over the dry grass, looking out over the ocean; there was a storm brewing in the distance, lightning rolling between the clouds.

"I'm trying to figure it out," Hiccup sighed. "I think it's another dragon calling to them or something. Eret, Astrid and Mom are coming with me to -"

Toothless wheezed.

Snotlout and Hiccup looked over at the dragon, watched him swiveling his head around, pupils narrowed in distaste. His lips twitched over his teeth. He rose to his feet, tail curling against the backs of Snotlout and Hiccups ankles. His forehead and spine hummed softly, the color beginning to light in cerulean.

"What's that," Snotlout muttered, pointing down.

Hiccups brow furrowed, looking down at the roiling waves. There was a soft, violet hue under the water and Toothless glared down at it.

"Get back," Hiccup hissed, scrambling back with his hand on Snotlouts arm.

Toothless let out a truly venom-laced roar, jumping back and shielding the two boys as the ocean erupted. War horns erupted around them, Hiccup could hear the concerned hum of villagers. But he couldn't look away from the water-soaked beast rising in front of them.

It turned turquoise eyes on them, steam rising from its snout. It's wings beat at the air, sending water down over them. Hiccup was briefly reminded of his first encounter with his mother, but this dragon was indeed larger than Cloudjunper, though not by much. It's wings shone white, humming as it swept over them, jaws open for a violet mist to pour out over Berk.

Toothless growled but his pupils remained slits, loping after the dragon as it continued to pour its strange mist over the village. Hiccup and Snotlout followed behind Toothless, watching several dragons rising from clawed open doors. Gobber hobbled out of his home, watching with sad eyes as Grump rose to the sky.

But the dragons weren't following behind the pale giant, they were flying in the opposite direction...towards Shimmermist.

Hiccup finally caught up with Toothless, eyes creased in desperation as he watched Toothless start to rise. He leap forward, finger curling tight around Toothless' neck, digging his nails under loose scales, to draw pain, draw Toothless' attention back down from whatever world he was going into at the touch of that damnable mist. As it licked at his ankles, Hiccup tensed, muscles drawing so tight it felt like he was being bit by hundreds of dragons. It stung and burned and ached and...everything. He wondered what the mist was doing to the dragons; he was pretty sure they didn't feel this. And that hulking white beast hovering above them was still pouring the mist from between jagged ivory teeth.

Its eyes swept over the rooftops, head swaying from side to side slowly. Villagers watched, some women holding onto their children, as if afraid the dragon would take their children. A nadder was ramming its head into the bottom of a door, sending splinters out onto the ground; the look in the white dragons eyes was of nothing but approval and that was scary.

The air rolled as the dragons chest rumbled in what had to be laughter. It's head swayed, amused, and it finally clamped its jaws shut with a thunderous snap, the mist flowing from its mouth fading. It let out a fierce roar, causing Toothless to try and fly again but Hiccup held fast, eyes focused on the opposing dragon. Its eyes shone like a saber cats, glimmering until it seemed to...chortle and beat at the air. It straightened its wings, gliding over their heads dangerously close, close enough to clip the arch on one of the houses.

Toothless growled and rolled, pressing Hiccup into the dirt and successfully getting him to let go of his best bud. The Night Fury raced after the white dragon. It took Hiccup a moment but then he scrambled to his feet, chasing after Toothless. Dirt stirred beneath extended claws and his spine and tail had that glow to it. As they reached the edge of the island, Toothless skid to a stop, so as to not go tumbling into the jagged ocean. He shook his head a few times, pupils dilating until he was back and Hiccup was ok but the village was a mess of splintered wood and sorrow.

But the ocean was calm, the sky was clear and the dragons were gone.

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><p>"White?"<p>

Hiccup nodded, pacing across the smooth stone of his mothers sanctuary, a Storm Cutter slithering in through the curved cliff opening several feet from them. It nudged Hiccup with its snout as it passed, settling in a corner to clean itself.

"I've never seen anything like it before."

Valka shook her head slowly, brow furrowed as she thought, hard. "Do you know where it went?"

"My guess is Shimmermist, that was where Eret saw it before and that was where the dragons it took started flying."

Valka stood, fists clenched at her sides; Toothless looked up from his place beside the small pile of baby Gronkles that were rolling around eachother, eyes wide in curiosity.

"We go in the morning," Valka ordered.

Hiccup nodded in agreement.

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><p><em><strong>Not happy with the ending but I lost the original. And please ignore spelling mistakes for the moment, when typing on a phone, spell check refuses to work. Sometimes. This is one of those times.<strong>_


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